Attachment for headlights.



F. J. PEISTER. ATTACHMENT FOR HEADLIGHTS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1909.

Patented Sept. 28, 1909.

FREDERIC J. PFISTER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ATTACHMENT FOR HEADLIGHTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1909.

Application filed April 20, 1909. Serial No. 491,090.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERIG J. PFISTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San F rancisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful Attachment for Head lights, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of the invention are, generally, the provision, in a merchantable form, of a device of the class above mentioned which shall be inexpensive to manufacture, facile in operation and devoid of complicated parts; specifically, the provision of a sign-board and of toggle levers adapted to be assembled with the sign-board to support the same, novel means being provided for assembling the terminals of the toggle levers with the lamp upon which the device is mounted; other and further objects being made manifest hereinafter as the description of the invention progresses.

The invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, delineated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in that portion of this instrument wherein patentable novelty is claimed for certain distinctive and peculiar features of the device, it being understood that, within the scope of what hereinafter thus is claimed, divers changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to denote corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings:Figure 1 shows in front elevation a lamp equipped with the device of my invention; Fig. 2 shows the invention in top plan, the lamp wherewith the device is assembled, being shown in section; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective, adapted to show the pivotal connection between the toggle levers, and the relation between said toggle levers and the signboard which they carry; Fig. 4 is a detail perspective of one of the bearing members whereby the device is supported, a portion of one of the toggle levers being inserted in place in said bearing members, and parts being broken away better to illustrate the structure.

The device which forms the subject matter of this application for Letters Patent is adapted to be used in connection with lamps and lanterns of any construction, but it is peculiarly adapted for use with automobile lamps, mine lamps, head-lights, and other devices of the sort, with which it is customary to assemble a sign-board whereby information may be communicated to the observer.

In the accompanying drawings, in order to illustrate the application of my device, I have shown a lamp or lantern, and denoted the same generally by the numeral 1. I11 order that my device may be assembled with the lamp 1, I provide bearing members 2. The lamp 1 may be of any form; in the present instance, that portion of the lamp 1 in which the lens 16 is housed, is circular in contour, and, in order to adapt the bearing members 2 for mounting in such a structure, the outer faces of said members are curved, as denoted by the numeral 3, to conform to the curvature of the forward portion of the lamp. There are two of these bearing members, and I plan to mount them upon opposite sides of the lamp. These bearing members 2 may be assembled with the lamp in a variety of ways; in the present instance, I have passed through the body of the lamp a screw l, adapted to engage one of the bearing members 2, the said bearing member being provided upon its outer face with a threaded aperture, into which the threaded terminal of the screw 4 may be inserted. Each of the bearing members 2 is provided upon its inner face with a recess 5, adapted to receive the terminal of one of the levers, whereby the device is supported in place. If desired, a resilient packing, 17, preferably rubber, may be inserted between the bearing members and the lamp, to accommodate any inequalities existing between the faces of the parts and to provide resilient means adapted to yield under the pressure of the remote ends of the levers 6 and 7, when said levers are manipulated as hereinafter described, it being understood that the screws 4: have sufficient longitudinal play in the lamp to permit the packing to yield. I further provide a pair of toggle levers 6 and 7, shown most clearly in Fig. 3. The toggle lever 6 is provided with depending arms 8, spaced apart, and adapted to receive between them, a tongue-9, which protrudes from the end of the toggle lever 7.

These arms 8, and the tongue 9, are provided with apertures 10, designed to be brought into alinement to receive a suitable pivot bolt, whereby the members 6 and 7 may be united in hinged. relation. The abutting faces 11 of, the members 6 and 7 are so disposed that, when the said faces 11 are brought together, the members 6 and 7 will be maintained in aco-axial relation. The

members 6 and 7, at their remote terminals are reduced as denoted by the numeral 12, and these reduced portions 12 are adapted to be introduced into the recesses 5 in the inner, or adjacent faces of the bearing members 2. This reduction in the extremities of the members 6 and 7 results in the formation of a shoulder 1 1, adapted to abut against the inner face of the bearing member 2. The recesses 5 in the bearing members 2 are polygonal in cross section, and the reduced portions 12 are arranged to conform to the cross section of the recesses 5.

The sign-board 15 is rigidly assembled at one end with the lever 6, at that end of the said lever which is remote from the bearing member in which said lever is mounted, and this sign-board 15, as shown in Fig. 8, ex-

tends across the pivotal union between themembers 6 and 7, into projections upon the member 7. The member 6 is preferably assembled with the sign-board 15, adjacent the upper edge of said sign-board, and the union between the sign-board and the member 6 may be effected by means of rivets, solder, or other common devices adapted to the end sought.

In practical operation, the remote extremities of the toggle levers 6 and 7 are brought toward each other, the said levers pivoting upon the element which is inserted in the apertures 10. The reduced portions 12 of the members 6 and 7 are then introduced into the recesses 5 of the bearing members 2, the said bearing members having previously been assembled with the lamp by means of the screws 4. Digital pressure may then be applied to the upper faces of the levers 6 and 7 to force their adjacent ends downward. When the levers (5 and 7 have arrived into a coaxial position the abutting faces 11 of the said levers will limit them against further movement, the reduced portions 12 being forced outward in the operation, and firmly seated in the recesses 5 of the bearing mem bers.

It will be seen, that the device is'so constructed that it can be inserted into a lamp and firmly clamped therein, without bending or distorting the sign-board 15. The device may readily be inserted into the lamp, and quickly removed therefrom when it is desired to clean the lamp, but this facility of introduction and removal in no way impairs the rigidity of the structure when it is mounted in its place within the lamp. By

giving the recesses 5 a polygonal cross section, and by causing the reduced ends 12 of the levers 6 and 7 to conform approximately to the shape of the said recesses, the signboard 15 is prevented from swinging into contact with the lens 16, contact between the lens and the sign-board obviouslyresulting in injury to both of the contacting members. By causing the sign-board 15 to extend past the pivotal connection between the members 6 and 7 and into projection upon the rearward face of the member 7, the said signboard serves to brace the said members 6 and 7 and to reinforce the pivotal connection between them.

It is to be understood that the sign-board 15 may be of any form. In the present instance I have shown it as consisting of a flat plate provided with stenciled characters. It is obvious however that the particular form of sign-board shown may be replaced by another, the embellishments of which are in a form differing from the stenciled characters shown in the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect, by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the class described comprising a pair of toggle levers and a sign-boardrigidly assembled with one of said levers and arranged to extend terminally upon the other lever.

2. A device of the class described comprising a pair of toggle levers and a sign-board rigidly assembled with one of said levers, the other lever being movable in a plane parallel to the plane of the sign-board.

8. In a device of the class described, recessed bearing members and means for removably assembling the same with a supporting element; toggle levers arranged for terminal insertion into the recesses of the bearing members; and a sign-board rigidly assembled with one of said levers.

4. In a device of the class described, bearing members, and means for removably assembling the same with a supporting element, the said bearing members being provided upon their adjacent faces with polygonal recesses; toggle levers having polygonal terminals to register against rotation in the recesses of the bearing members; and a signboard rigidly assembled with one ofsaid levers.

5. A device of the class described comprising a pair of toggle levers provided with interlocking elements to limit the levers to a co-aXial position; and a sign-board rigidly assembled with one of said levers and being arranged to extend terminally upon the other lever, the lever'upon which the signboard thus extends being movable in a plane parallel to the plane of the sign-board.

6. A device of the class described comprising a pair of toggle levers provided with interlocking elements to limit the levers to a co-axial position; and a sign-board rigidly assembled with one of said levers and being arranged to extend terminally upon the other lever, the lever upon which the signboard thus extends being movable in a plane parallel to the plane of the sign-board; bearing members and means for removably assembling the same with a supporting element, the said bearing members being provided with recesses arranged to receive the terminals of the toggle levers against rotation.

7. A device of the class described comprising a supporting element; toggle levers; a sign-board assembled with the toggle levers; and a resilient element interposed between the remote ends of the toggle levers and the supporting element.

8. A device of the class described comprising a pair of toggle levers; a sign-board assembled with said levers; bearing members arranged to receive the terminals of the toggle levers; a supporting element; means for assembling the bearing members with the supporting element; and resilient elements interposed between the bearing members and the supporting element.

9. A device of the class described comprising a pair of toggle levers; a sign-board assembled with said toggle levers; a supporting element; and means carried by the supporting element for receiving yieldingly the remote terminals of the levers.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERIC J. PFISTER.

lVitnesses W. H. COBB, D. D. BEATTY. 

